


Frills

by elmyra



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Barb Lives, Barb has had enough of frilly blouses, Barb is nonbinary, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-19 18:21:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8220506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elmyra/pseuds/elmyra
Summary: Barb deals with PTDS through trans makeovers.





	

Barb comes to all fuzzy-headed, mouth tasting of carpet. She doesn't dare open her eyes yet, but even so she can tell it's light here. Not the forest then, not that dark place she couldn't name. There's a beeping noise, getting faster, more insistent, and then footsteps, the sound of a door opening, a chair scraping along the floor. 

"Barbara? Barb?" It's her mother's voice, and Barb finally looks.

***

Barb's bedroom door is ajar but Nancy knocks anyway.

"Hey," Nancy says as she steps over a pile of clothes Barb has discarded on the floor. "How're you doing?"

Barb shrugs non-committally, pulls a blanket tighter around her shoulders.

Nancy sits down on the bed and puts her hand on Barb's shoulder. "You wanna talk about it?" she asks. 

Barb shrugs again, so Nancy just sits quietly with her until they both doze off.

***

"Barb?" her mother yells from downstairs. "Do you know which blouse you want me to iron for you for school yet?"

Barb pulls another ruffle blouse from her wardrobe and throws it on the floor.

***

"Barb?" Jonathan Byers stares at her. "Are you... do you want to see Will?"

Barb shakes her head. "No, uh, actually... Look, I know this probably weird, but can I borrow a couple of your shirts?"

Jonathan blinks, but steps aside to let her in.

***

It feels like everyone is staring at her as she walks down the school hallway for the first time in weeks. She can't quite tell if it's because she's been away, or because of all the rumours that must be going around, or because... well, because of how she looks. It's probably for the best that she can't tell, she decides. If they can't deal with her wearing a men's shirt and no make-up, that's their problem and not hers. Barb's never felt more... herself than she does right now.

**Author's Note:**

> Barb needed to live. Barb also needed to actually feel comfortable in her own body.


End file.
